Flash flooding in Spain kills 13 – British couple describe ‘chaos’

At least 13 people have died in Spain after flash floods hit parts of the country.

Torrential rains flooded roads and towns on Tuesday, washing away cars, derailing a train and damaging homes and buildings.

Authorities in the worst-hit areas advised people to stay at home and avoid any non-essential travel.

According to state broadcaster TVE, police said at least 13 people had died in floods that swept through the country’s southeast. Spain.

A few hours earlier, the leader of the Valencia region told reporters that bodies had been found, but did not specify the number “out of respect for the families.”

Earlier, the national government office of the Castilla-La Mancha region told the radio channel Cadena Ser that six people in the region were considered missing.

In Letura, near the Sierra de Segura, 30 people were trapped after the river that runs through the town burst its banks.

Dozens of videos posted on social media showed people trapped by floodwaters, some hanging from trees to avoid being washed away. Authorities used helicopters to rescue some residents from their homes.

Other videos published by Spanish broadcasters showed floodwaters rising to the lower floors of houses and even carrying cars through the streets.

Radio and television stations received hundreds of calls for help from people trapped in flooded areas or looking for loved ones, as emergency services were unable to reach all affected areas.

“It was chaos”

The British couple told Sky News they were stuck in their car for almost 10 hours.

Vitaly Farafonov and his wife were visiting Valencia for a yoga retreat when the police turned them away from the highway at around 8:00 p.m. yesterday evening.

He said: “It was chaos as we counted nine or ten overturned lorries on a half-mile stretch of motorway.

“We’ve never seen anything like it.”

The couple, who are originally from the Midlands but now live in Luxembourg, have four children who live safely in Barcelona with relatives.

Mr Farafonov said he and his wife were stuck “on a random country road between beautiful orange groves”.

“Finally we can see flashing blue lights so people know where we are,” he added. “Like I said, we’re lucky.”

Transport was badly affected by the flood.

A high-speed train carrying nearly 300 people derailed near Malaga, but authorities said no one was injured.

Rail lines elsewhere were also disrupted.

According to forecasts of the country’s meteorological service, the storms will continue until Thursday.

Spain experienced similar autumn storms in recent years.

Scientists have warned that the frequent episodes of extreme weather, such as flash floods or forest fires, seen elsewhere in Europe during the summer are likely to be linked to human-caused climate change.

Meteorologists believe that the warming of the Mediterranean Sea, which increases the evaporation of water, plays a key role in increasing the torrential rains.